SrI VaanamAmalai Paasurams of Swamy NammAzhwAr: Part I

[Guest guest]

SrI :

 

Dear BhakthAs:

 

It is my bhAgyam to write about these famous 11 Paasurams

of Swamy NammAzhwAr on Thiru Sireevaramangai dhivya dEsam

and its Lord ThOthAdhri Naatan (Vaana Maamalai) . The Moolavar

here faces east and is in a sitting posture .The Uthsavar's

Thiru Naamam is DeivanAyakan . ThAyAr's MangaLa Naamam here

is Sreevaramangai . The VimAnam is known as Nandhavarthana

VimAnam or PadmAkara VimAnam . This is a Svayam Vyaktha

(Self-manifested ) KshEthram . This is the ancinet seat of

SrI Vaana Maamalai Matam , where HH Kaliyan Jeeyar presides

as the AchAryan today in SrI MaNavALa Maamuni AchArya Paramparai.

This KshEthram is 29 Kilometers from ThirunelvEli on

the Naagarkoil Road. Every day ,the PerumAl recieves

oil abhishEkam and that oil is stored in a well and

distributed to BhakthAs as disease curing prasAdham.

 

Swamy NammAzhwAr's MangaLAsAasanam

***********************************

Swamy NammAzhwAr performed MangaLAsAsanam to the Lord of

this Dhivya desam with a set of 11 exquisite Paasurams

in the Fifth centum of His ThiruvAimozhi ( 5.7).

 

adiyEn will highlight the anubhaavm of Swamy NammAzhwAr

to the limits of my ability by following PoorvAchAryAL's

commentaries and add any other insights that my own

AchAryan blesses me with. adiyEn will try to find

Vedic references to the SaraNAgathy performed by

Swamy NammazhwAr.

 

Introduction:

**************

The anubhava rasam of Vaana Maa Malai PerumAL by

Swamy NammAzhwAr overflows in the 11 Paasurmas

and the upadEsam from our Kula pathi is : SrIman

NaarAyaNan in His archA form at Vaana maa malai

dhivya desam is THE PRAAPYAN AND PRAAPAKAN .

As PrApyan , He is the UpEyam (Goal or object

to be attained). As PrApakan , He is the One ,

who makes us attain Him as SiddhOpAyan .

 

Summary of the Messages of the Eleven Paasurams

************************************************

We shall follow the analysis of UtthamUr Swamy and

add the insights of Swamy Desikan and Swamy MaNavALa

MaamunigaL .In DhramidOpanishad Taathparya RahtnAvaLi ,

Swamy Desikan summarizes the purport of these Paasurams

as AzhwAr's salutation to the Lord in His role as

Akinchana SaraNyan (the refuge of those , who have no

capabilities to practise upAyams). In his DhramidOpanishad

Saaram ,Swamy Desikan extends this thought further by saying

that the Lord of Vaana Maa malai is Dheena SaraNyan

(Protector and refuge for those , who are weak

and powerless to perform upAya anushtAnam).

 

Swamy MaNavALa MaamunigaL sums up the message

of SaThakOpan as " nORRilEn , aaRRahilEn ,

UpAyam Unn aruLE " ( I am an akinchanan ,

dhInan and Your grace alone is the means for

my rakshaNam/salvation ).

 

adiyEn will focus first on the overviews of

individual paasurams and then provide detailed

commentaries for each paasuram in subsequent postings.

 

1. nORRa nOnbilEn , nuNNaRivilEN--

***********************************

In this first Paasuram , AzhwAr pointed out that

He has no competence in either Karma Yogam or

Jn~Ana Yogam and expressed his insuifficency

to reach Him thru the observance of these yOgams.

 

anguRREnallEn inguRREnallEn--

*******************************

In the second Paasuram , he pleaded with the Lord

to remove these deficencies that interfere with his

enjoyment of the Lord and said that He alone can remove

these obstacles in his way to enjoyment of the Lord .

 

KaruLapputkkodi Chakkarappadai--

**********************************

In the third paasuram , AzhwAr asserted that the Phalan of

enjoyment of the Lord can result with out observance of

the upAyams due to His grace.

 

MaaRusEr Padai nURRuvar manga--

*********************************

In the fourth paasuram , SaThakOpan cited the example of

PaaNDavAs as the case in point for such anugraham

referred to in the above paasuram.

 

yethakkUvathalAl aavathe yenakku--

*************************************

In the fifth paasuram , AzhwAr gave up

by saying that he is powerless to appeal

for the boon of attainment of the Lord

( Unnai yeythak-koovuthal yenakku aavathillai).

 

yEnmaaI nilam keeNDa YennappanE ! KaNNA !--

********************************************

In the sixth paasuram ,AzhwAr begged the Lord

to permit him to perform kaimkaryam to Him and

to accept that Kaimkaryam at VaanamAmalai

( adiyEn thozha vantharuL).

 

vantharuLi yenninjidam koNda Vaanavar KozhunthE!--

***************************************************

In the seventh paasuram ,AzhwAr realizes that the Lord is

not responding because of dhOshams in his appeal and begs

the Lord to remove those dhOshams that stad in the way .

 

ahaRRa nee vaittha

********************

In the eighth pasuram , AzhwAr is in a agitated mood

about the Lord's lack of response and asks Him :

You are paathudayavarkku YeLiyavan, piRakku ariyan

(You are easy to approach for those , who are Your

BhakthAs and unreachable for those , who are not).

How can adiyEn reach You , if You abandon me ?

 

PuLLin Vaai piLanthAi!---

****************************

In the ninth paasuram , AzhwAr begs the all powerful

Lord to banish all obstacles that stand in the way

of attaining Him and enjoying Him.

 

AaRenakku ninn Paadham --

****************************

In the tenth paasuram , AzhwAr expresses his

deep gratitude to the Lord for revealing His

Thiruvadi as THE sole refuge to attain Him and

thanks Him for responding with this upadEsam

as a result of his (AzhwAr's)kathaRal ( outpourings

of grief due to vislEsham ).

 

Deiva Naayakan NaaraNan Thrivikraman--

***************************************

In this eleventh and Phala Sruthi Paasuram ,

Swamy NammAzhwAr points out the fruits enjoyed by

those , who comprehend his message about the Lord of

VaanamAlai as PrApyan and PrApakan in the eleven paasurams.

He states that such fortunate ones will be AarA amudham

for Nithya sooris (VaanOrkku AarA amudhE )in Parama padham .

 

Swamy NammazhwAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan